| Abstract: | Abstract Evaporation rates and drying times of soil samples exposed to high fluxes of unipolar air ions of either polarity, produced by corona electrodes, were studied with a beta‐ray gauge. Ion‐treated soils dried more than three times faster than the control samples under the same laboratory conditions. An analysis of the experimental curves on Rideau clay showed evaporation rates of 2.96 x 10‐4and 8.84 x 10‐4g cm‐2min‐1for control and treated samples, respectively, when exposed to 4.39 x 1012negative air ions cm‐2s‐1. An objective criterion was defined for a state of soil dryness when the sample acquired a steady‐state value of transmission of beta particles with time. Electric wind caused by the ionic drag is proposed as the principal driving force for the enhancement of evaporation rates from soil samples used. |
